Starbucks dumps T-Mobile for ATT

I don’t know if anyone saw this coming. Seemed to me like T-Mobile and Starbucks were getting along great but after 6 years they are calling it quits. The change wont come until this spring but it is certainly an interesting change, especially for those that use the Wi-Fi while sipping their favorite caffeinated treat.

I found this to be most interesting since I have been considering stopping my edge service on my iPhone and simply picking up a Wi-Fi service like that offered at Starbucks. I find that I am generally in fairly close proximity to a Starbucks that I could easily stop by to get my email fix or check to make sure the internet was still moving along. After all, we all know that EDGE is only a happy thing when we have no other option but the reality is its so slow that it really is useless in most cases, so why not spend that $20 on some Wi-Fi? That’s the question I have been grappling with lately in my quest to get more value for my money.

Brain Blast - I figure I can switch a parent over to ATT from Verizon to get the unlimited free access to ATT’s WiFi available at my Starbucks and Barnes & Noble. Now that’s saving and getting more bang for my dollar. Oh, how the wheels are turning now.

Speculation- Now that ATT will be providing the WiFi access at Starbucks, maybe they’ll give iPhone users free access. You know, kind of like part of a larger plan to offset the ridiculously slow and expensive EDGE network. I know wishful thinking. But if it happens, you read it here first.

How do you feel about the switch to ATT at your favorite java house?

*UPDATE: c|net just reported that Starbucks customers will get 2 hours free per day. That sounds like a winner to me. I guess its not much different than the 1hour Caribou has been giving (I hope it’s faster). I suppose anything can change between now and the time this switch comes about near me but I hope it only gets better.

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Tags: starbucks, att, tmobile, iphone, apple